A third heatwave within four weeks could hit parts of the UK by mid-July, the Met Office has said. The second weekend of July could see increasing heat and humidity with the potential for another period of hot weather lasting into the following week.
Met Office meteorologist Zoe Hutin said it was difficult to determine exactly how hot conditions could become next week. However, she confirmed there was potential that some parts of the country could reach heatwave criteria.
Record-breaking June temperatures
This follows two weekends of heatwave conditions across much of the country in the final weeks of June. The month was the hottest on record across England, with Faversham in Kent hitting nearly 36C on Tuesday, 25 June.
To qualify as a heatwave, a location must reach or exceed certain temperatures for three consecutive days. The threshold is 25C in the west and north, and 28C in London and surrounding counties.
High pressure system brings heat
Hutin said temperatures were expected to reach the high 20s in the South East on July 9. There was potential for low 30s on July 10 as hot conditions continue into the weekend.
An area of high pressure building from the west will stretch across the south, drawing in warm air from the Atlantic and Azores. "Most likely it will be the South and East that see prolonged heat and thus could have another heatwave, but it is too soon to say exactly how high temperatures could get," Hutin said.
Cooler conditions before heat returns
This weekend and the start of next week will be cooler than recent days, the meteorologist added. Cloudier skies will prevail, bringing spells of rain at times, especially for western areas.
Eastern regions will be drier overall, though some drizzly outbreaks remain possible on Saturday with showers on Sunday. Temperatures could reach 25C in the South East on Saturday, 24C on Sunday and 23C on Monday.
Weather warnings across Scotland
Meanwhile, a yellow weather warning has been issued for rain across parts of Argyll and Bute in Scotland. The warning covers the south Highlands, Mull and Skye until Saturday afternoon, with up to 60mm of rain predicted and more than 100mm in mountain areas.
The Environment Agency has issued flood alerts in Cumbria after heavy rain on Friday. The alerts cover the rivers Duddon, Crake and Mill Beck, and other watercourses from Coniston to Barrow-in-Furness, including low lying areas around Ulpha, Duddon Bridge, Broughton-in-Furness, Kirkby-in-Furness, Dalton-in-Furness and Ulverston.
Multiple flood alerts issued
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has issued six further flood alerts across Argyll and Bute, Ayrshire and Arran, Easter Ross and Great Glen, Skye and Lochaber, west central Scotland and Wester Ross.
(PA) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
